Radio control device



Jan. 23, 1945. A. E. GERSCH 2,367,860

RADIO CONTROL PEVICE Filed April 1, 1959 3' Sheets-Sheet 1 14 n L l I 25: A ,62 70- I .5 1 4 4 l Q 'f 54 x U "I W 1" GD g INVENTOR.

Jan. 23, 1945. A A. E. GE Rsc|-| 2,367,860

RADIO CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 1, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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.Fan. 2 1945. A. E. GERSCH 2,367,860

RADIO CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 1, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE art-W rational Virginia arner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corpo- Appiication April 1, 1939, Serial ,No. 265,400

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved radio control device and more particularly to a tuning control of the type employing manually operable buttons for tuning a radio receiver to predetermined stations.

Different types of such push button controls have been developed and many of them require considerable manual pressure in order to move the control buttons through the distance necessary to accomplish the complete actuation of the tuning device. This heavy manual pressure and relatively long travel of the push button is not only undesirable in itselr, but also has undesirable effects. With light console cabinets and especially with the smaller table models, the pressure 1 upon the button required for tuning the set may tilt or push the entire set so that it is necessary for the user to hold down the set while operatin 7 the push button. A further e'flect is that there may be a tendency for the user to fail to apply adequate pressure or to cause the full travel of the button and consequently there will result a. failure to tune in the desired station correctly.

A further difliculty is present in some types of construction in which the push buttons serve to move the main tuning condenser. Where a gear reduction or worm gear is present between the hand tuning drive and the main tuning condenser, this drive must be reversible if the push buttons are to operate the condenser. When such drives are reversible they impose a considerable additional load upon push button operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved control device for tuning radio receivers or the like.

It is a further object to'provide a construction in which stations are fully and accurately tuned by light pressure upon the button and by short manuall caused travel of the button.

It is an additional object to provide a device of this character in which the tuning is initiated manually, andcompleted by electric power.

It is also an object to provide a control in which the station selecting devices are normally disconnected fromthe power driving mechanism.

It isa further object to provide a power drive construction adapted for use in connection with different types of push button control devices.

It is another object to provide in connection with such a construction, means whereby the usual hand drive m y be disconnected from the tuning mechanism automatically upon push button operation.

It is an additionaiobiect to Provide pparatus I of the end of the threaded portion 2101 the push I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the tuning and control assembly, partly broken away to show the 10 construction;

Figure 2 is a face view of the apparatus of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the construction of Figure l as seen from the left;

5 Figure 4 is 'a vertical section showing a push button in the out or inoperative position;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but show- 20 mg the push button in an intermediate operating position; and

Figure 'l is a diagrammatic showing oi the sole- I noid circuit. I

In the drawings the base Ii carries the tuning 25 condenser l2 which is supported from the base' to construction has no bearing on the present invention.

The condenser is provided with a shaft i4 carrying the gear II which meshes with the gear sector It secured to shaft ll. This shaft i1 is 35 secured to the yoke it, which is iournaled in the downtumed ends of the base II. This yoke i8 serves to turn shaft l1 and, by means of gear. sector l6 and gear II, to tune the condenser l2. The base II has a down-turned front portion l9 provided with a plurality ofaligned holes to receive the push buttons 20. These push buttons 20 haveslots 2| formed therein to receive the pins 22 carried by the push rods 28, as best shown in Figures 1 4 and 5. The push rods have reduced threaded 4s portions 24 which are screwed into the outtumed lugs 25 and 2i tormed' on the slide members 21.

These slide members 21 extend through the yoke ll and slide in the slots formed inthe intermediate frame members 28 and 20. Each slide is so provided with an adjustable tuner actuating member 3| which is pivoted to the slide at 3|. This adjustable member 20 is clamped in adjusted position by means 0! the sliding clampzmember- 32. The clamping action is caused by the thrust rod 23. The clamping member 32 is connected to the cross member 28 by the return spring 33. This return spring serves to maintain the slides normally at their outer limit of movement with the push buttons extending through the downturned portion I! of the frame I l. The spring 33 also serves to pull the clamp member 32 away from the member 30 when the parts are loosened for adjustment.

The inner lower edge of the slide 21 is provided with a rack 34. The power drive shaft 35 is carried in the supporting brackets 38 and 31. This shaft carries a plurality of gear sectors 38, one of which is aligned with the rack 34 of the slide 21. It will be noted that with the slide in the retracted position, as shown in Figure 4, the rack 34 is out of mesh with the gear sector. The elongated guide roller 39 is located above the slides and serves t hold them down in engagement with the racks.

The power drive shaft 35 is provided with the crank arm 40, the upper end of the arm being twisted at right angles to the body of the rod and having an opening therein to receive the solenoid pull rod 4| as shown in Figure 3. The collars 42 and 43 are secured to the pull rod to act as thrust collars so that the movement of the pull rod 4| actuates the arm 48. It will be apparent that when the parts are in normal position, the pull rod is in the extreme right-hand position with the arm 40 against the stop 55 as shown in Figure 3, or looking at it in the opposite direction as shown in Figure 4 the gears 38 are at their counterclockwise limit of movement. The spring 44 is secured to the arm 40 and maintains the parts normally in this position.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 7, t" movable contact supporting member 45 is pivotally supported in the ears 46 extending from the front l9'of the base II. This member 45 carries the movable contact 46. The upper edge of the member 45 is opposite the shoulder 41 on the push button 28. The fixed contact 48 is supported by insulating means 49 from the cross frame member 28. The solenoid circuit is indicated diagrammatically in Figure '7. The solenoid 50 has one end of its coil grounded to the frame, as indicated at and the other end connected through line 52 to any source of power. The opposite side 53 of the power source is connected to the insulated fixed contact 48. The movable contact carrying member 45 is grounded to the frame as indicated at 54 in Figure 7.

The tuner is provided with means for manual tuning of the condenser l2. This means comprises a tuning knob 60 operating a shaft 6| which is provided with a worm 62 meshing with the worm gear 63. The shaft 6| is supported by the bracket 64 from the base II. The worm gear 63 is loosely mounted on the condenser shaft I4 and has secured thereto a clutch member 65. The complementary clutch member 66 is slidably fitted on the shaft l4 facing the clutch member 68. As shown in Figure 1 the clutch member 86 has a slotted connection with a pin 61, which pin passes into the shaft l4 so that this member is caused to rotate with the shaft H.

The clutch operating yoke "is pivoted at 38 to a bracket secured to the base II. The spring 1| connects the clutch operating yoke and the chassis to normally maintain the clutch in closed position. The clutch actuating shaft 12 is carriedby the base ll and-attherizht end. as seen in Figure 1, has a lever 13 secured thereto. This lever 13 is adapted o me the outtumed end 14 of the clutch lever 68 to release the clutch when the shaft 12 is locked in the clockwise direction as seen in Figure 3. The opposite end of the shaft 12 is provided with a lever adapted to engage the collar 43 on the solenoid pull rod 4|. The pull back spring 16 normally maintains the lever 15 against the collar 43 on the pull rod.

The method of setting up the apparatus so that each slide tunes the condenser I2 to a predetermined frequency or setting, in itself forms no part of the present invention and need only be very briefly described. By turning the push button associated with the particular slide under adjustment, the threaded portion 24 is retracted to release the engagement of the clamp 32 with the member 30. The push button then is forced in to cause the member 30 to engage with the actuating yoke 18, which yoke is turned to such a position as to tune in the desired station. This may be accomplished either by directly moving the yoke or by moving the condenser itself, which is directly connected to the yoke by means of gear l5 and quadrant [6. With the member 30 held firmly against the yoke l8, the push button is then turned to move the threaded portion 24 inwardly to positively clamp the member 30 by means of the clamp member 32. Thereafter, at any time when the slide is moved inwardly, the member 30 will engage the yoke l8 to swing the yoke shaft 11 and consequently the quadrant l6 so as to rotate the condenser by means of gear 15 to the same position at which the slide was set. This method of adjustment and the construction involved are independent of the power drive, although the power drive will normally function to retain the member 30 against the yoke l8 during the adjustment. In operation of the apparatus to tune the s automatically, it will be apparent that a slight inward movement of a button 20 to the position shown in Figure 6 will cause the movable contact 46 to engage the fixed contact 48, thus energizing the solenoid and moving the solenoid plunger outwardly or to the left as shown in Figure 3. This movement of the plunger moves the gears 38 in the clockwise direction as seen in Figures 4 and 6. While the rack 34 is normally out of engagement with the associated gear 38, the initial slight movement of the button 20 to the position shown in Figure 6 serves to bring the end of the gear 38 in mesh with rack 34 before the solenoid is energized. Consequently, as soon as the solenoid is energized the shaft 35 is rotated in a. clockwise direction as seen in Figures 4 and 6, the gears 38 move in the same direction and thegear associated with the slide pushed in draws that slide to the right until the member 38 is stopped by both its upper and lower portions engaging the yoke l8; At this position there can be no further inward movement of the slide.

It is to be understood that Figure 6 shows an intermediate position with the rack in mesh, but with the member 38 just making engagement with the yoke [8. Due to the slotted connection between the push button 28 and the push rod 23, the push rod is free to move to the right, carrying with it pin 22 without any additional movement of the push button itself.

When the push button is released, the movable contact 46 moves away from the fixed contact 43, being pulled in this direction by the spring 55 shown in Figure 3, this spring also serving by means of member 45 to push the button 23 out to its normal position. As the solenoid circuit 18 broken. the spring 44 moves shaft 33 in counterclockwise direction and the gear It moves the slide 21 to the left as seen in Figures 4 and 6. The associated return spring 33 connected to the slide returns the slide further so that rack 34 is disengaged from the gear 38. It will be apparent that tuning is in no way dependent upon will be apparent that it may be adapted for use the exact meshing of the rack 34 with any speciflc point in the gear 38. The gear 38 simply serves to pull the slide and the motion of the slide is stopped by engagement of member 30 with the yoke l8. The automatic declutchin mechanism func tions to disconnect the worm drive from the condenser shaft whenever push button tuning is used. The parts are normally in position with the clutch members 65 and 66 in engagement so that operation of the knob 60 turns the shaft 14 of the tuning condenser [2. When any push button is pressed in to put the solenoid in operation, during the initial movement of the solenoid pull rod 4| to the left as seen in Figure 3, the collar 43 engages lever 15 to rotate shaft 12 in the clockwise direction. This causes the lever 13' to push against the upturned end 14 of the clutch control lever 68, which swings the yoked end of that lever to the left, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, separating theclutch members and declutching the worm drive from the shaft. All of this takes place before the collar 43 engages the upper portion of lever 40 to operate shaft 35, and consequently effect the tuning of the condenser.

' Whenever the solenoid is released so that the nection with one specific form of push button tuning mechanism having one form of means for locking and adjusting the action 'of the slide, it

with any push button operated slide regardless of the tuning or adjusting mechanism serving to connect the slide to the tuning element of the radio receiver or the like.

I have shown one preferred embodiment of my invention but this is to be understood as illustrative only, as it is capable of modification and change to meet varying conditions and requirements, and I contemplate such variations as come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a radio control device, a control drive member, a manually movable slide having means adapted to engage the control drive member to move it to a predetermined position, a rack formed on said slide, a gear adapted to enact with the rack to move the slide; electrical drive means for the gear, and means whereby an initial manual movement of the slide. places the elecv trical meansinoperation. v

2. In a radio control device, a control drive member, a manually movable slide having means adapted to engage the control drive member to move it to a predetermined position, a rack formed on said s1ide,'a gear adapted to coact 'with the rack to move the slide, said rack. being 

